Cloudy Crusades
by wlyteth
Summary: Rainbow Dash loves naps, but when she decides to take one in the middle of a storm she gets sick. Will the usually athletic pegasus be able to slow down and get the rest she needs to get better? And what do the Cutie Mark Crusaders have in store for her?
1. Rainbow Splash

Rainbow Dash laid back on a cloud and sighed happily. Weather Patrol was fun, but taking naps and practicing new stunts were even better. As she snuggled deeper into the cloud and closed her eyes she imagined what new tricks she would perform once she was part of the Wonderbolts. As she half dreamed she could see it all... the rush of the air around her as she flew, the cheers and gasps of the crowd, the award cerimonies, the... ice cold buckets of water? The dream quickly became a nightmare as Rainbow found herself swimming against the current of a swift river. The water kept pulling her under and getting in her mouth and nose. Panicing she flailed about with her legs and wings until the river pushed her down a waterfall towards some very sharp looking rocks. Before she could try and fly away she landed head first on the rocks and everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Is she alright?"<p>

"I've never seen a pegasus fall off a cloud before."

A hoof prodded her ribs and she winced.

"She moved!"

"What do we do?"

Suddenly a loud familiar voice broke through the crowd. "Everypony just give her some room and she'll be fine. Ya'll are stealing the air away with all yer crowdin' and fussin'!" Rainbow Dash could hear the other ponies shuffling around to let the newcomer through before walking away. Opening her eyes a bit she could see a orange blur in front of her. "Hey Applejack..."

"Hey Sugarcube. Lemme help ya up there." Applejack bit into Rainbow's mane and lifted her to her hooves. "You alright? You took quite a tumble off that cloud. WHat were ya thinkin' going to sleep all out in the open with a rainstorm comin?

Rainbow Dash swayed on her hooves for a bit, using Applejack to steady herself. "Thanks AJ, I wasn't expecting that much rain. I thought most of it was supposed to be over yours and the carrot family's farms today, not over Ponyville. What are you doing in town anyways?"

"Ah'm on mah way to Rarity's. all that rain down at the farm gave me an idea fer that high-faltin' dress she's makin me wear to the gala."

"Oh horseapples! I'm supposed to go over there too. Well might as well get it over with."

* * *

><p>Rarity was deep in thought when they arrived, apparently trying to fit more stars on a dress than was physically possible. "Howdy Rarity, Dash an I came over like yew asked."<p>

"Oh! Thank goodness! I could certanly use a break from all the stars Twilight asked for. All these Constalations are giving me such a headache." Rarity rubbed her forehead with her hoof and ajusted her glasses. "Now. What new ideas did you bring me?"

Applejack proudly reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a pair of rubber boots. "These are my favorite golashes so I thought they would look mighty nice with my fancied up gala duds."

"Golashes! I couldn't possibly... arrgh... alright golashes are fine. I'll make it work... somehow... This is going to take all day. Rainbow, be a dear and come back tomorrow, I'll be ready for you then."

Rainbow Dash gave a half hearted saluted and flew out of the shop as quick as she could. Anything to put off talking about silly dresses for a while was fine by her. She flew up to try and find a new nap-cloud, but then decided sleeping in her house would be safer. Though it was only a short distance her wings felt very tired. "I guess I need to work a little harder on my training," she said to herself. "But I can do that later, its nap time."

It was the next morning before Rainbow Dash woke up, and the first thing she noticed was that her mouth felt very dry and her blankets were too hot. Wearily she dragged herself to the kitchen for some water. The water tasted terrible and made her thorat feel funny. "Ugh! I better pick up some juice in town today, this stuff is gross." Just talking for a little bit made her want to cough so she decided to just think in her head instead of out loud for the time being. As awful as she felt she made herself go to Rarity's. Flying made her feel tired again so once she reached the ground she went through Ponyville at a slow trot. After what felt like miles the Carosel Boutique finally came into view.

Once she was inside, Rarity was all business. "Alright Rainbow Dash, here is your dress so far, what do you think?"

The dress could have been awesomer but Rainbow didn't really know what to say. "Looks fine Rarity" she said eventually.

"Oh I just know you hate it! Now tell me what do change even though I thought you would just absolutly love it but anything at all I can change, just say the word."

Rainbow just wanted to leave, she was feeling even worse than before and the room felt stuffy. "Could you just... make it cooler?" Rainbow was trying not to start coughing again, every word seemed to scrape her throat. "Is it the color?" Rarity asked. "The color's fine... just make it cooler!"

Rarity asked something else but the heat felt so intense Rainbow couldn't concentrate on her anymore. "It needs to be about 20% cooler." Rainbow Dash mumbled before sliding to the ground in exhaustion.

"I suppose it could do with a bit more ventilation..." Rarity mused, not noticing her unconsicous friend. "I just need to get my sissors. Be back soon darling!"

Shortly after Rarity left three fillies wearing capes snuck into the dressmaking room. The bright orange one stopped short and the other two bumped into her. "Hey! What did you stop for Scootaloo, we have to be quick before my big sister gets back." Scolded Sweetie Belle.

"Shhh! Look!" All three crusaders stared at the sleeping blue pegasus. "What's wrong with her?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Belle ran over and put a hoof on Rainbow's forehead. "She all hot and sticky, I think she's sick." Instantly the three fillies looked at each other and yelled.

**"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS DOCTORS YAY!"**


	2. The Road to Recovery

Flapping her wings as fast as she could Scootaloo sped towards the clubhouse on the edge of Sweet Apple Acres. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom had raced ahead to fashion the wooden treehouse into a proper sickroom for their patient. Rainbow Dash slumbered on, only moaning occationaly whenever the wagon hit a bump. As the apple orchard came into view Scootaloo put on an extra burst of speed and skidded sideways in front of the clubhouse's ladder not noticing that doing this caused the wagon to tip over, spilling Rainbow Dash on the ground. "Did you see how fast I went Rainbow Dash? I almost flew!" Scootaloo looked behind her to see her hero laying in a heap on the ground. "Oops, I'll help you up. Hey guys come and help me carry her!" Sweetie Belle and Applebloom rushed down the ladder and helped lift Rainbow off of the ground. "What was she doing on the ground?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I dunno, I guess she just... fell out on her own?" Scootaloo shrugged. Sweetie Belle glared at her for a second in disbelief but decided to let it go.

After a lot of effort the crusaders were able to drag the full grown pony up the ladder. "Now, get her over to the bed and we'll give her some soup." Sweetie Belle nosed a bowl over to where Rainbow was laying and shook her a little. "Um, Rainbow Dash? Could you wake up and drink this please so you'll feel better?"

"You'll have to be firmer than that Sweetie," Applebloom said. "Doctor ponies don't just let their patients do what ever they want, we have to make her eat the soup."

"Yeah!" Scootaloo chimed in. "Like this. WAKE UP!" She yelled in Rainbow Dash's ear while bouncing on top of her.

Rainbow Dash sat bolt upright accidentily throwing Scootaloo against the wall. "Wha? Where am I?" She rasped. The three fillies stood in front of her and smiled. "We saw you were feelin poorly so we brought you to our clubhouse. We're going to make you feel all better and get our cutie marks for doctorin!" Applebloom proclaimed.

"Um thanks girls, but I'm not feeling that bad... so I think I'll just go home now..."

"The patient is resisting treatment! Scootaloo get the rope! Applebloom hold her down! I'll get the soup." Before she could react Rainbow Dash was tied to the makeshift bed and was having warm carrot soup poured down her throat. "Make sure she gets plenty to drink, we don't want her getting dehydrated." Sweetie Belle said with an air of authority.

"Whats deehighdredated mean?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle just sighed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>After a bit of planning (and a lot of arguing) the Cutie Mark Crusaders decided that caring for Rainbow Dash would be done in shifts so that they would each have a chance to go home and eat or rest. Rainbow was quiet throughout the disscussion due to her sore throat. Besides, having somepony to take care of her was pretty awesome she had to admit. Even if during Scootaloo's shift the orange filly spent most of her time asking questions about flying or just staring at Rainbow in admiration. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom were much better at taking care of her but still wouldn't remove the ropes and only let her go outside the clubhouse on a "leash". Rainbow spent most of her time sleeping so she wasn't too sure how long she had been stuck in the treehouse. Shouldn't somepony be looking for her? Maybe the fillies had told her friends that they were taking care of her. Yeah, that was probabally what was what happened. That settled she snuggled into her pillows and fell asleep.<p>

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle stood in the middle of the Ponyville with her clipboard and addressed the crowd of ponies around her. "Rainbow Dash has been missing for five days! I've already seperated you into groups so if everypony is ready please start searching your assigned areas. If anypony finds anything that might give us a clue as to what has happened to her please come straight back here and report to me. You are dismissed!" As the ponies started to move away in groups Twilight turned around to talk to a very distraght Rarity. "I just can't believe that she's missing! When I came back to my workroom and she was gone I was upset naturally but I thought that she had simply gotten bored with waiting and was going to come back. But she didn't!"<p>

Rarity was approching a histerical pitch and Twilight put her hoof on the white unicorn's shoulder to reassure her. "Its alright Rarity, for all we know she just is hiding in a cloud somewhere and doesn't even know we are worried. Go home and relax, we have things under control here."

Rarity calmed down a bit and gave Twilight a small smile. "You're right my dear, I'm getting all upset over what is most likely nothing. I think I'll just go home and have some tea, I need to make some dinner for Sweetie Belle as well, she hasn't been at home much lately. I know that she is very focused on trying to find her cutie mark but I do wish that she was around more."

"Go home Rarity." Twilight said a little more firmly.

"I'm sorry, I'm just such a wreck between making all the dresses for the gala... not that I mind not at all! I love doing things for my friends..." Rarity's voice trailed off as she walked back home.

Once she was gone Twilight allowed all the worry she had been feeling to finally show on her face. Looking up at the stars she wispered to herself "Where are you Rainbow?"


	3. Buccaneer Blaze

It was Applebloom's turn to take care of Rainbow Dash so she was gathering some food from the Sweet Apple Acres kitchen. It was well past her bedtime and the only light was from the sliver of moonshine that filtered through the window. "Lets see... I can take the rest of this apple pie, and these carmel apples... oooh apple fritters!" She stuffed the food into a sack and climbed up onto a counter to get a thermos from the shelf. Applebloom hummed a quiet tune to herself as she poured apple juice into the thermos. Suddenly she could hear somepony else humming along. Eyes wide she slowly turned her gaze to the doorway of the kitchen where a large shadow loomed.

"Gettin yerself a snack little sis?" Big Macentosh's said in his deep voice. "Yer getting juice on the floor."

"Oh!" Applebloom realized that she hadn't stopped pouring and the juice was overflowing the thermos. "Um, yeah Big Mac, I was just a little hungry and didn't want to bother nopony so I was fixin a snack."

"Same." He replied sitting down at the table. "Iffin you don't mind I'll eat with you."

"Uh.. uh.. ok yeah um lets eat then." Applebloom dragged the sack over to the table and gave Big Mac some of the food she had planned to give to Rainbow Dash.

"Why'd you put food in a bag? I hope you weren't plannin on eating in your room again, you know Granny don't allow that."

"I was going to be extra careful..." Applebloom lied hoping he would finish his food and go back to bed.

Big Mac nodded and chewed. Applebloom pretended to take a bite of fritter. She was very full from dinner and didn't want to get sick from over eating. "Sooooo... what was that big town meetin about? Applejack seemed pretty upset afterwards."

Big Mac swallowed another fritter before answering. "Seems like her friend Rainbow Dash has gone missin. Everypony is real worried about her being gone. Be a right shame iffin somepony knew where she was and didn't fess up. That pony could be in a whole heap of trouble seems like. Welp, I'm off to bed. Sleep well little sis."

"...night Big Mac."

Applebloom laid her head on the table, it wasn't right to worry folks, but she didn't want to betray her friends. But if there were really making ponies worried it wasn't right to keep quiet.

"Big Mac!"

"Eeyup?"

"We have her! Me and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! We didn't mean no harm to nopony its jus she was sick and we thought we could make her feel better and get our cutie marks at the same time! I'm so sorry I was bad!"

She burst into tears and as Big Mac came over and hugged her. "There there 'bloom theres no harm done. Now lets go take her out of that cramped treehouse and let her go home."

Applebloom looked up at him in surprise. "You mean ya... ya knew?"

"Eeyup. But you needed to see it was wrong on your own." He lifted her gently by the scruff and put her on his back. "I'm sure iffin we ask Miss Rainbow nice she won't let anypony get mad at you nor your friends."

* * *

><p>Back at the treehouse Scootaloo was pacing back and forth in front of the ramp, a small stick in her mouth. Sweetie Belle trotted down the ladder and Scootaloo stopped in front of her. "Halt! Is the prisioner secure?"<p>

"She's not our prisioner Scootaloo! She's our patient! How many times do I have to keep telling you that?"

Scootaloo leaned in closer to Sweetie Belle and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe you have to keep telling me until I understand!"

"That doesn't even make sense, agggh forget it, where's Applebloom? She's late."

Scootaloo dropped into a crouch and slunk around. "She must have been captured by eneimy spies."

"Spies? Really? You can't be serio-" Scootaloo pressed a hoof over Sweetie Belle's mouth, interuppting her. "Shhhh. I hear something" She wispered loudly. The two fillies stared into the dark forest for several moments. Hearing nothing further the two ponies relaxed.

"See, I told you there was no spies, no danger, no... gigantic monster!" Sweetie Belle screamed and Scootaloo charged forward with her stick. "Back you monster back!" With a flying leap Scootaloo launched herself at the large shadow that had stepped into the clearing from the forest.

"Wait Scootaloo!" Applebloom cried as she jumped off Big Mac's back. The orange pegasus couldn't stop however and colided head first into Applebloom.

"Ow..." They both said as Big Mac shook his head. Sweetie Belle ducked her head down in shame. "I'm sorry I called you a monster Mr. Macintosh." Big Mac gave her a silent nod to tell her there was no harm done.

"So..." Applebloom looked towards Big Mac before continuing. "I um... well you see... what we did to Rainbow was um bad. We shouldn't have ponynapped her against her will even if we had good inten-... itren-... uh."

"Intentions?" Sweetie Belle offered.

"Yeah, those. So I don't want us to get in no trouble so I think we should let Rainbow Dash go home."

"No way!" Scootaloo yelled. "We did all this work and she can't go until she teaches me some awesome tricks!"

Before anypony could say more the treehouse started to shake, the boards rattling so much that the nails started to shoot off in every direction. There was a crack of thunder and the treehouse exploded with a burst of multicolored lightning as Rainbow Dash flew into the sky, dragging the splintered wood in her wake.

"Tricks like that one..." Scootaloo said softly as the four ponies stared at the swiftly disapering pegasus.


	4. Conclusion

Rainbow Dash had heard part of the muffled conversation between Sweetie Belle and Sccotaloo and knew that this might be her only time to escape. Once those two started arguing they wouldn't be able to even notice anything else. The interior of the treehouse was small. Low roof, tiny windows, and a firmly locked door. Experimentally Rainbow stood on her hind legs and tapped her front hooves against the wooden wall. The weathered boards rattled slightly. Rainbow Dash smirked to herself. This would be easy. There wasn't any way to escape without completely distroying the treehouse, but it was the only solution. She flapped her wings a little to gain some lift and hit her head on the celing. "Ow..." she said loudly then froze. The two fillies outside had stopped talking. Had they heard her? If so there was no time to lose. Rainbow flapped her wings again to hover and started sumersulting in place while keeping her self in the air. She began to pick up speed, feeling little jolts of electicity spread across her. Faster and faster she flipped without touching the walls, celing, or floor. Rainbow was starting to get dizzy and with one final flip she smacked her hind hooves against the floor and flapped her wings rapidly. The treehouse exploded and she shot into the sky. She didn't see the looks on all the ponies below her in Ponyville, the shock and amazement that not only was Rainbow Dash was alright, but also she had pulled off yet another amazing trick.

* * *

><p>Twilight Sparkle, Rarity and Applejack were standing near the edge of Sweet Apple Acres and (aside from the four ponies below the treehouse) had the clearest view of Rainbow Dash's escape.<p>

"Rainbow! She's ok!" Twilight threw her hooves around Applejack in joy. "She was here the whole time!"

"If that don't beat all..." Applejack said, a huge smile on her face turning into a grimace. "and I have and idea about a little filly that might be responsible fer that."

"Sweetie Belle and that little orange ruffian had their part in this as well I'm sure." Rarity replied. "Just wait until I get ahold of my sister... She is going to..." There was a loud thunk followed by a soft thud as Rarity fell to the ground, a wooden board lying across her face.

Twilight and Applejack were trying to revive Rarity when Big Mac and The Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped out of the orchard into the clearing. Applejack whirled around and glared at her little sister. "APPLE BLOOM! Did you know where Rainbow Dash was this entire time?"

The little filly looked at the ground. "Yessum. And I'm sorry! We didn't mean no harm by takin' her!"

"I'm sorry too Miss Applejack. "Sweetie Belle added as she poked a hoof into Scootaloo's ribs.

"Ow! Um I mean yeah I'm sorry too. Kinda."

Applejack looked like she was still going to lash out at the apologetic fillies so Big Mac intervened. "These girls were just trying their best to do good by a friend of yourn and they know they've done wrong so instead of makin' them feel worse why don't we try to find some way to make it up to Rainbow?"

"But they LIED Big Macintosh! I just can't abide lying, even more so when it was about somethin' so impotant!"

Twilight had finally managed to wake up Rarity, who was rubbing her very sore head. "Applejack... be a dear and stop shouting, its making making me see strange streaks of light."

"You mean its making you see streaks of AWESOMENESS!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she skidded down out of the sky and into the clearing. "Don't blame them for keeping me locked up, I could have left at any time. I was just enjoying the attention thats all." Rainbow said nonchlantly as she examined a front hoof.

"If thats true, then why did you have to break our clubhouse?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Oh.. ah.. heh. Sorry about that."

"Well it looks like we've all learned yet another interesting thing about friendship." Twilight said.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and muttered "of course she would say that." Sweetie Belle poked her again.

The rest of the poines looked at Twilight in confusion. Finally Applejack spoke up. "Um Sugarcube? I know you have to make all them reports to the princess and such, but I don't really think anypony learned anything here."

"Of course we did!" Twilight countered. "The Cutie Mark Crusaders learned that ponyknapping is not the answer to um... wanting to help somepony. And I'm sure Rainbow Dash learned that distroying the property of somepony that was trying to help you isn't the right thing to do. Even if you are trapped inside that property. At least, I think thats what everypony learned here."

"Perhaps Twilight is correct," Rarity said. "And I think I have an idea on how these ponies can put this new lesson on friendship into practice.

* * *

><p>~~~Two days later~~~<p>

Apple Bloom carried a small tray of food and laid it on a table next to a hospital bed. Sweetie Belle put a glass of water next to it and lifted the cover off the food tray. "Mmmm sure looks yummy Mr. Breezy! Enjoy your meal!" The colt laying in the bed smiled at the little fillies and waved a bandaged hoof.

Nurse Redheart walked over with Scootaloo. "Now remember girls, Mr. Breezy hurt his hoof and can't feed himself so as juinor nurses one of you have to do it. I believe its your turn Scootaloo."

"Yeah, yeah." The orange pegasus grumbled.

"Don't be so glum Scootaloo, I hear Rainbow Dash has a wonderful surprise for you girls after your shift is over."

"Really?" Scootaloo instantly perked up and started to spoon food into Mr. Breezy's mouth. "I can't wait!"

The three fillies rushed through the rest of their mandatory hospital vollenteer work and started on their way to Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack met them at the main gate. "Ok girls, once you are ready to see your surprise just go on to where your old clubhouse was."

"Old clubhouse...?" Apple Bloom started to ask but the rest of her sentance was torn away in the gust of wind that Scootaloo created when she propelled her scooter and the wagon to top speed.

They arrived at the place where their treehouse had stood in a matter of seconds. But instead of the ruin of broken boards they had expected there was a brand new clubhouse made out of puffy white clouds. Rainbow Dash finished putting a few final touches on the cloud roof and flew over to the astonished fillies. "So, how do you guys like it? Its just temperary, the clounds won't last forever but I thought you could use it as a clubhouse until I can help you build a new one."

"Its so pretty!" Apple Bloom said.

"And awesome!" Scootaloo cheered.

"And white!" Sweetie Belle added.

Rainbow Dash laughed as the three small ponies started to explore their new cloud house. Scootaloo had already climbed to the top of the roof and was bouncing on the cloud. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle couldn't stop talking about how many rooms it had, though they were a little dissapointed that only Scootaloo was able to use the cloud couch.


End file.
